1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-ROM writer and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a multi-ROM writer which can write information to various types of flash memories with a different interface, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A microcomputer, which is built in to various equipment, conventionally operates by reading a program from a ROM (Read Only Memory) which is built in when the equipment is manufactured. Therefore, when a program to be used by the microcomputer is changed, the ROM must be changed, which makes changing a program difficult.
Recently, however, a program and data can be easily overwritten and changed by using an overwritable ROM, such as a flash memory.
An example of equipment where such an overwritable ROM as a flash memory is used is a controller of an automatic vending machine, a coin processing unit and a bill identification unit to be built in to an automatic vending machine, and in each one of this equipment, a program and data are overwritten and updated when necessary.
Each equipment of an automatic vending machine can output information internal to the equipment by serial communication, by which internal information is acquired and the coin evaluation level is adjusted. Coin evaluation level adjustment is an adjustment required when the output of each sensor to detect the features of a coin is changed due to the environment, and the output of each sensor is corrected or the threshold value is changed by inserting a genuine coin a plurality of times, and this adjustment result is also stored in the flash memory along with the program.
For flash memories, however, standards are not unified, and voltage to be applied when the stored content is overwritten, for example, is different depending on the product.
The interface to overwrite a flash memory may be different depending on the equipment where the flash memory is built in. So, in order to overwrite the stored content of a flash memory built in to the equipment, a dedicated ROM writer for the equipment must be used.
In this way, an equipment where a flash memory is built in requires a corresponding dedicated ROM writer. However, a flash memory built into an equipment is not always the same if the model number is different, even if the type is the same, therefore a plurality of ROM writers may have to be prepared, which is inconvenient.
For example, when one company owns a plurality of equipment, just like the case of an automatic vending machine, the company must visit the installation location of each automatic vending machine with a plurality of ROM writers corresponding to each automatic vending machine to overwrite a program of each automatic vending machine, which makes overwriting a program complicated.
With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-ROM writer which can overwrite the stored content of a plurality of types of flash ROM, and a control method thereof.
To achieve the above object, the invention is a multi-ROM writer which is selectively connected to various types of target equipment where each type of flash memory is mounted, and overwrites the flash memory mounted in the target equipment, comprising: a storage medium which stores an overwriting program corresponding to the flash memory of the target equipment and information to be written to the flash memory; reading means for reading the overwriting program and the information from the storage medium; and control means which operates using the overwriting program read by the reading means and overwrites the flash memory on the basis of the information read by the reading means, by controlling the transmission of data to the flash memory, the reception of data from the flash memory, and the output voltage switching which switches and outputs a voltage selected from a plurality of voltages.
The invention comprises a connection to the target equipment implemented by means of a cable which has a predetermined connector shape and pin layout corresponding to the target equipment selected from a plurality of types of cables.
The invention further comprises that the storage medium is a PC card.
The invention further comprises the information is a control program of the target equipment, and the control means writes the control program to the flash memory.
The invention comprises that information is setup information including operating conditions of the target equipment, and the control means writes the setup information to the flash memory.
The invention further comprising communication means for communicating with the target equipment, wherein the communication means acquires an operation status of the target equipment.
The invention further comprising the control means overwrites the flash memory on the basis of the operation status of the target equipment acquired by the communication means and the information read by the reading means.
The invention further comprising target equipment that includes at least one of a controller, a coin processing unit, a bill processing unit and a card processing unit which are installed in an automatic vending machine.
The invention further comprises target equipment is a coin processing unit which is installed in an automatic vending machine, and the control means acquires a coin identification level of the coin processing unit via the communication means, updates the identification level on the basis of the acquired identification level and of an identification result of a coin inserted into the coin processing unit, and writes the updated identification level to the flash memory.
The invention further comprising that target equipment is a bill processing unit which is installed in an automatic vending machine, and the control means acquires a bill identification level of the bill processing unit via the communication means, updates the identification level on the basis of the acquired identification level and of an identification result of a bill inserted into the bill processing unit, and writes the updated identification level to the flash memory.
The invention comprises a control method of a multi-ROM writer which is selectively connected to various types of target equipment where each type of flash memory is mounted and overwrites the flash memory mounted in the target equipment, wherein an overwriting program corresponding to the flash memory of the target equipment and information to be written to the flash memory are read from a storage medium, and the information is written to the flash memory using the overwriting program which was read, by controlling the transmission of data to the flash memory, the reception of data from the flash memory, and the output voltage switching which switches and outputs a voltage selected from a plurality of voltages.
The invention further comprises the connection to the target equipment is implemented by means of a cable which has a predetermined connector shape and pin layout corresponding to the target equipment selected from a plurality of types of cables.
The invention further comprises that the storage medium is a PC card.
The invention further comprises that the information is a control program of the target equipment and the control program is written to the flash memory.
The invention further comprises that the information is setup information including operating conditions of the target equipment, and the setup information is written to the flash memory.
The invention comprises that communication with the target equipment is performed, and an operation status of the target equipment is acquired by means of this communication.
The invention further comprises that the flash memory is overwritten on the basis of the operation status of the target equipment acquired by means of the communication, and on the basis of the information read from the storage medium.
The invention further comprising that the target equipment includes at least one of a controller, a coin processing unit, a bill processing unit, and a card processing unit which are installed in an automatic vending machine.
The invention comprising the target equipment is a coin processing unit which is installed in an automatic vending machine, and a coin identification level of the coin processing unit is acquired by means of the communication, the identification level is updated on the basis of the acquired identification level and of an identification result of a coin inserted into the coin processing unit, and the updated identification level is written to the flash memory.
The invention further comprises the target equipment is a bill processing unit which is installed in an automatic vending machine, and a bill identification level of the bill processing unit is acquired by mean of the communication, the identification level is updated on the basis of the acquired identification level and of an identification result of a bill inserted into the bill processing unit, and the updated identification level is written to the flash memory.